This disclosure relates generally devices and methods for diagnostic analysis and performing surgeries. More particularly, this disclosure relates to devices and methods for supporting and manipulating a patient's leg during surgery (e.g., hip joint surgery) and for diagnostic analysis of the leg (e.g. x-ray).
During diagnostic evaluation of a patient's leg or surgery on a patient's leg (e.g., hip or knee surgery), certain positions and orientations of the leg and/or hip joint may be preferred. For example, during one phase of hip surgery, the surgeon may want to place the patient's leg in tension (i.e., traction) at an angle with respect to the spine or the pelvis, whereas in another phase of hip surgery, the surgeon may want to change the angle of the patient's leg or rotate the patient's leg. In some cases, the surgeon may want to maintain traction or a particular rotational orientation of the patient's leg while adjusting the position of the leg or the patient's position on the surgical table.
Conventional surgical tables designed for use in leg surgeries typically include a vertically oriented perineal post that is fixed to the table, and positioned between the patient's legs against the perineum during surgery. The perineal post functions to maintain the patient's position on the surgical table while a patient's leg is pulled inferiorly (i.e., generally away from the patient's torso). This enables the application of inferior traction to the patient's leg by applying tension generally along the length of the leg. However, for some surgeries and diagnostic evaluations, it may be desirable to apply lateral traction to the femur to distract the hip joint laterally. Although conventional surgical tables and associated traction devices enable the application of inferior traction, they typically do not provide an ability to controllably apply lateral traction to the femur.